Population and Environment

Population growth has impacted negatively on water resources all over the world. The growth of population is accompanied by a corresponding increase in the need for water. The increasing exploitation of water and the environment has made the issue of water pollution more urgent than ever. As the population grows, there is increased human activity as well as an upsurge of economic activities (Panayotou, 2000). Most of these activities have a devastating effect on water, leading to increased cases of water pollution.

A good example is India, which has serious issues with the level of water cleanliness. Due to increased population and economic activity, the rate of water pollution in India has gone up. This is evident in some of its major water sources. The Ganges, the Yamuna and the Mithi are major rivers that have become heavily polluted. This is because they flow through highly populated areas which exert a lot of pressure on them. Mitigation efforts by the government have not borne much fruit.

However, there are several measures that can successfully deal with the problem of water pollution. First is water treatment before being released into the environment. This is important, especially for industries that release a lot of effluents into rivers and oceans. This will go a long way in reducing the level of pollution in water bodies. Secondly, water recycling is an important strategy for reducing water pollution. Used water which mostly contains contaminants should be recycled for reuse, rather than having it flow away. Governments should set up water recycling plants so that the water cycle runs with as little contamination as possible. Recycling of water will also lessen the pressure on the existing water resources; hence, leading to less water pollution.